Insecticide



Patented Nov. 13, 1945 INSECTICIDE Samuel I. Gertler and Herbert L. J.Haller, Washington, D. 0., assignors to United States of America asrepresented by Claude R. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, and hissuccessors in No Drawing. Application December 7, 1943,

Serial No. 513,220

4 Claims. (Cl. 167-30) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, asamended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This application is made underthe act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, andthe invention herein described and claimed, ii patented, may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment to us of anyroyalty thereon.

This in a continuation in part of our copending application for patent,Serial No. 360,360, filed October 9, 1940.

This invention relates to improvements in materials for destroying orchecking the growth or multiplication of living organisms, whether plantor animal which are economically injurious to man.

An object of the invention is to provide materials suitable for use asinsecticides.

Another object of the invention is to provide a material for dusting orspraying delicate vegetation, such as bean plants, peach trees, andplants grown under glass, which' will not cause injury to foliage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a material which isrelatively nontoxic to man and domestic animals when taken by mouth, andwhich can be used in place of lead arsenate and other arsenicals fordestroying insects, without leaving harmful residues on fruit andvegetables.

We have found that substances belonging to a certain class of organiccompounds have a specific toxic effect upon insects, and our inventioncon- 1 sists in the application of said substances to the destruction ofinsect pests.

The novel insecticides found by us belong to where either R or R1 is anaryl group or both are aryl groups, either unsubstituted or substituted,the substituents bein such as nitro, halogen, amino, hydroxy, etc.

The insecticidal material may be reduced to an impalpable powder bygrinding and applied to vegetation either dry as a dust or made into asuspension and used as a spray. When applied as a spray in water, it maybe desirable to incorporate wetting agents, such as sodium laurylsulfate, or any derivative of sulfosuccinic acid and an alkyl arylsulfate. Stickers may also be incorporated, such as casein, soy beanflour or fish oil. The spray may be made by mechanically suspending theimpalpable powder or by first absorbing it in an appropiate solvent,such as acetone, methyl alcohol, or ethyl alcohol, and pour-' ing theresulting solution into water, whereupon a fine colloidal suspension isobtained. The suspension may then be applied directly to the host plantor combined with a suitable wetting agent or adhesive, such as-thosementioned above, and then sprayed.

The insecticidal material when used as a dust may be adsorbed on ormixed with a suitable diluent, such as clay, talc, bentonite, etc.

The insecticidal materials may also be employed in admixture with otherknown insecticides, such as pyrethrum, derris, nicotine, arsenicals,etc.

The value of these compounds as insecticides is shown by the following.examples:

1. Acetophenone semicarbazone tested against newly hatched larvae of theEuropean corn borer was practically as toxic as derris after a 72-hourperiod. When tested against newly hatched screwworm larvae by the jartest method, it was toxic at a concentrationof 0.05%.

2. Benzophenone semicarbazone tested against newly hatched screwwormlarvae was toxic at a concentration of 0.01%. When dusted or collardleaves and fed to the imported cabbage worm of the fifth instar, itshowed a high mortality .after 48 hours.

3. p-Chloroacetophenone semicarbazone gavecompounds are merely used asexamples and benzophenone semicarbazone in the form of an that thisinvention is not restricted to such use. impalpable powder admixed witha solid diluent. Also the above examples are not to be construed 3. Aninsecticidal spray composition comprising as limiting either the method01. application of benzophenone semicarbazon suspended in a these novelinsecticides or the kinds of insects I compatible liquid medium togetherwith suitable to which they may be applied. spreading and stickingagents.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: 4. A method fordestroying insects comprising 1. An insecticidal composition of mattercomsubjecting the insects to the action of benzoprising as its essentialactive ingredient benzophenone semicarbazone. phenone semicarbazone anda carrier therefor. 10. SAMUEL I. GERTLER.

2. An insecticidal dust composition eomprisinc HERBERT L. J. HAIL-ER.

